Torso

I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale

Synopsis

Someone is strangling coeds in Perugia. The only clue is that the killer owns a red and black scarf, and police are stumped. American exchange student Jane and her friends decide to take a break from classes by going up to Danielle’s uncle’s villa in the country.

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Sergio Martino was a good technician without any imagination so he was a lot dependent on the screenplay he was adapting. 'Torso' was written by Ernesto Gastaldi, one of the most interesting giallo writers of the period hence the quality of the movie. Recommended.

Not sure I quite 'get' Martino yet, I greatly admired the inventive blocking of his previous film 'Your Vice...' yet this film didn't quite jive with me. Particular moments such as the association made between giallo aesthetics of bodies & blood to both abstract expressionist art and the Italian Renaissance painter Perugino are the most intriguing aspects and will hopefully become elucidated in subsequent viewings.

The ultimate link between the giallo and the slasher, as has been stated... When I was really into slashers I was upset by proto-slashers lack of female agency but as a giallo fan I can appreciate the other merits.

I must bump this up to 4 stars. I was disappointed 5 years ago when I went in expecting the high hopes that tagged along with the stunning praise it received from other slasher fans, but this time I got what I wanted. A strong Martino giallo, not only with striking imagery, but clever ideas woven together into a well bred story.

Delightfully suspenseful, grubby giallo with some excellent visual flourishes and an arresting mise en scene. One of the best Italian horrors I've seen. I particularly loved the cluttered, gaudy interiors (of the apartments, not the victims). I wasn't entirely comfortable with the erotic elements which verged on the exploitative at times, but it's a thoroughly entertaining shocker that deserves its reputation.

Maybe gialli just aren't for me. Besides Deep Red, What Have You Done to Solange and Lizard In A Woman's Skin...every film is dull as dishwater with a few moments of searing visual brilliance to break up the monotony. This one is especially porn-y with little else to interest one, even in the death scenes.